The Spanish and Portuguese term taifa (from Arabic: طائفة ta'ifa, plural طوائف tawa'if) in the history of Iberia refers to an independent Muslim-ruled principality, an emirate or petty kingdom, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia) after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Etymologically an emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة Imarah, plural: إمارات Imarat) is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir (prince, governor etc. ... Petty kingdoms were prominent before the formation of many of todays nation states. ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... For other uses, see moor. ... The Courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, one of the grandest architectural legacies of the Umayyads. ... The interior of the Great Mosque in Córdoba, now a Christian cathedral. ...

Image File history File links Political map of Iberia in 1031 (showing major taifas and other states). ...

Origins

The origins of the taifas must be sought in the administrative division of the Ummayad Caliphate of Córdoba, as well in the ethnic division of the elite of this state, divided among Arabs (a powerful but tiny minority), Berbers, Iberian Muslims (known as Muladíes - the overwhelming majority) and Eastern European former slaves. Languages Arabic other minority languages Religions Predominantly Sunni Islam, as well as Shia Islam, Greek Orthodoxy, Greek Catholicism, Roman Catholicism, Alawite Islam, Druzism, Ibadi Islam, and Judaism Footnotes a Mainly in Antakya. ... The Berbers (also called Amazigh, free men, pl. ... A Muladi (pl: Muladies) is a term used to describe a sect of Moslems living in Spain with mostly Christian origins. ... In the medieval Arab world, the term Saqaliba (سقالبة, sg. ...

There was a second period when taifas arose, toward the middle of the 12th century, when the Almoravid rulers were in decline. Map showing the extent of the Almoravid empire The Almoravids (In Arabic المرابطون al-Murabitun, sing. ...

During their heyday, in the 11th century and again in the mid 12th century, Taifa emirs competed among themselves, not only militarily but also for prestige. They tried to recruit the most famous poets and artisans. Entrance to the emirs palace in Bukhara. ...

Reversing the trend of the Ummayad period, when the Christian kingdoms of the north often had to pay tribute to the Caliph, after the disintegration of the Caliphate the divided Muslim kingdoms were much weaker than their Christian counterparts, particularly the Castilian-Leonese monarchy, and had to submit to them, paying tributes known as parias.

Due to this military weakness, taifa princes called North African warriors to fight Christian kings on two occasions. The Almoravids were invited after the fall of Toledo (1085), and the Almohads after the fall of Lisbon (1147). These warriors did not in fact help the taifa emirs but rather annexed their lands to their own North African empires. Map showing the extent of the Almoravid empire The Almoravids (In Arabic المرابطون al-Murabitun, sing. ... April 2 - Emperor Zhezong became emperor of Song Dynasty. ... The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Lisboa  - Subregion Grande Lisboa  - District or A.R. Lisbon Mayor Carmona Rodrigues  - Party PSD Area 84. ... Events King Afonso I of Portugal and the Crusaders capture Lisbon from Muslims First written mention of Moscow. ...

Taifas often hired Christian mercenaries to fight their neighbours. One famous case is that of El Cid. A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict who is not a national of a Party to the conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a... Statue of El Cid in Burgos. ...

Some major taifas were:

• Seville, the most dynamic one, conquering most of its neighbours before the Almoravid invasion
• Zaragoza, also very powerful and expansive but inhibited by the neighbour Christian states of the Pyrenees
• Granada
• Toledo, conquered by Castile in 1085
• Badajoz (Batalyaws)
• Denia

Zaragoza, Toledo and Badajoz had previously been the border military districts of the Caliphate. For other uses, see Seville (disambiguation). ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Zaragoza (Spanish) Spanish name Zaragoza Founded 24 Postal code 50001 - 50018 Website http://www. ... Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation). ... Coat of arms Kingdom of Castile in the 15th century. ... April 2 - Emperor Zhezong became emperor of Song Dynasty. ... Location Badajoz, Spain location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Badajoz (Spanish) Spanish name Badajoz Founded 875 Area code 34 (Spain) + 924 (Badajoz) Website http://www. ... The fort of Denia overlooks the city. ...

List of all taifas

The names are in modern Portuguese and Spanish.

• Albarracín: 1011-1104 (to Almoravids)
• Algeciras: 1035-58 (to Seville)
• Almería: 1011-91 (to Almoravids); 1145-47 (briefly to Castile and then to Almohads)
• Alpuente: 1009-1106 (to Almoravids)
• Arcos: 1011-91 (to Almoravids); 1143 (to Almohads)
• Badajoz: 1009-1094 (to Almoravids); 1145-50 (to Almohads)
• Baeza: 1224-26 (to Castile)
• Balearic Islands or Mallorca: 1076-1116 (to Almoravids)
• Beja and Évora: 1114-50 (to Almohads)
• Carmona: 1013-91 (to Almoravids); a second period is diffuse
• Ceuta: 1084-1147 (to Almoravids)
• Constantina and Hornachuelos: dates and destiny diffuse
• Córdoba (Cordova) (organized as republic): 1031-91 (to Seville)
• Dénia: 1010/12-76 (to Zaragoza); 1224-1227 (to Almohads?)
• Granada (Garnata): 1013-90 (to Almoravids); 1145 (to Almoravids?); 1237-1492 (this last period not usually considered to be a taifa; to Castile); 1568-71 (rebellion of Las Alpujarras after Arabic and Muslim customs were forbidden, two successive kings were appointed by the rebels)
• Guadix and Baza: 1145-51 (to Murcia)
• Jaén: 1145-1159 (to Murcia); 1168 (to Almohads)
• Jérica: dates and destiny diffuse
• Lisboa (Lisbon): 1022-? (to Badajoz)
• Lorca: 1051-91 (to Almoravids); 1240-65 (to Castile)
• Málaga: 1026-57/58 (to Granada); 1073-90 (to Almoravids); 1145-53 (to Almohads)
• Menorca: 1228-87 (to Aragon)
• Mértola: 1033-91 (to Almoravids); 1144-45 (to Badajoz); 1146-51 (to Almohads)
• Molina: ?-1100 (to Aragon)
• Morón: 1013-66 (to Seville)
• Murcia: 1011/12-65 (to Valencia); 1065-78 (to Seville); 1145 (to Valencia); 1147-72 (to Almohads); 1228-66 (to Castile)
• Murviedro and Sagunto: 1086-92 (to Almoravids)
• Niebla: 1023/24-91 (to Seville); 1145-50? (to Almohads); 1234-62 (to Castile)
• Orihuela: 1239/40-49/50 (to Murcia or Castile)
• Purchena: dates and destiny diffuse
• Ronda: 1039/40-65 (to Seville); 1145 (to Almoravids)
• Saltés and Huelva: 1012/13-51/53 (to Seville)
• Santa María del Algarve: 1018-51 (to Seville)
• Santarém: ?-1147 (to Portugal)
• Segorbe: dates and destiny diffuse
• Segura: 1147-? (destiny unknown)
• Sevilla (Seville): 1023-91 (to Almoravids)
• Silves: 1040-63 (to Seville); 1144-55 (to Almohads)
• Tavira: dates and destiny diffuse
• Tejada: 1145-50 (to Almohads)
• Toledo: 1010/31-85 (to Castile)
• Tortosa: 1039-60 (to Saragossa); 1081/82-92 (to Denia)
• Valencia: 1010/11-94 (to El Cid, nominally vassal of Castile); 1145-72 (to Almohads); 1228/29-38 (to Aragon)
• Zaragoza (Saragossa): 1018-46 (Banu Tujib; then to Banu Hud); 1046-1110 (to Almoravids; in 1118 to Aragon); continuity in Rueda until 1030 (to Aragon)

Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, near the British colony/Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, slightly to the north from Tarifa, which is the southernmost town of the peninsular Spain and Europe (, ). Both cities are situated on the Strait of Gibraltar; Algeciras also faces the Mediterranean. ... “Almeria” redirects here. ... Alpuente is a town in the province of the Valencian Country, Spain. ... Arcos was a small independent emirate created c. ... Location Badajoz, Spain location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Badajoz (Spanish) Spanish name Badajoz Founded 875 Area code 34 (Spain) + 924 (Badajoz) Website http://www. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official language(s) Spanish and Catalan Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4,992 km²  1. ... Location Location of Mallorca in Balearic Islands Coordinates : 39° 30’N , 3°0E Time Zone : CET (UTC+1) - summer: CEST (UTC+2) General information Native name Mallorca (Catalan) Spanish name Mallorca Postal code 07001-07691 Area code 34 (Spain) + 971 (Illes Balears) Website http://www. ... Beja can refer to: The Beja people, an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa The Beja language Beja, Portugal Béja, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Alentejo  - Subregion Alentejo Central  - District or A.R. Évora Mayor Ernesto Oliveira  - Party PS Area 1,307. ... Carmona may be: António de Fragoso Carmona, President of Portugal. ... Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked  28 km²   Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked  75,861    2,709. ... Location Coordinates : , , Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Córdoba (Spanish) Spanish name Córdoba Founded 8th century BC Postal code 140xx Website http://www. ... The fort of Denia overlooks the city. ... For other uses, see Granada (disambiguation). ... Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway. ... Baza is a town in the province of Granada in southern Spain, in the autonomous region of Andalusia. ... Jaén may refer to: Jaén, Spain Jaén Province, Spain Jaén, Peru Jaén Province, Peru This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... District or region Lisbon Mayor  - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... Lorca is a city in southeast Spain, in the autonomous community of Murcia. ... Location of Málaga Municipality Málaga Government  - Mayor Francisco de la Torre Prados Area  - City 385. ... Minorca (Menorca both in Catalan and Spanish and increasingly in English usage; from Latin insula minor, later Minorica minor island) is one of the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish), located in the Mediterranean Sea, and belonging to Spain. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Alentejo  - Subregion Baixo Alentejo  - District or A.R. Beja Mayor Jorge Valente  - Party PS Area 1,292. ... Molina is a Spanish and Italian name. ... There are a number of places named Morón: Morón, Argentina Morón, Cuba Morón, Spain Morón, Venezuela (Carabobo State) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For the Roman goddess, see Venus. ... Saguntum, now Sagunt, (Castilian Sagunto) is an ancient city in the fertile district of Camp de Morvedre in the province of Valencia in eastern Spain. ... Niebla may refer to: Niebla, Chile a coastal town in the municipality of Valdivia Niebla, Huelva— a municipality in Huelva province, Spain Niebla (novel)— a novel by Miguel de Unamuno, published 1914 Niebla is a Spanish word, meaning mist, fog. Category: ... Orihuela is a city and municipality located in the province of Alicante, Spain. ... Purchena is a small, typical Andalusian town of 1,650 people. ... Ronda sits at the edge of a canyon Ronda city view Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of Málaga. ... Huelva is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous region of Andalusia. ... Algarve NUTS II region, and the district of Faro in Portugal. ... Location    - Country Portugal    - Region Alentejo  - Subregion Lezíria do Tejo  - District or A.R. Santarém Mayor Francisco Moita Flores  - Party PSD Area 560. ... Segorbe is a municipality in the mountainous coastal province of Castelló, Valencian Community, Spain. ... Segura River. ... For other uses, see Seville (disambiguation). ... Image:Silves. ... Tavira or Tabira is another name for Durango, Spain. ... Tejada is a common Hispanic surname. ... For other uses, see Toledo (disambiguation). ... A view of Tortosa Tortosa (Latin Dertusa, Arabic طرطوشة Ṭurá¹­Å«Å¡ah) is the capital of the comarca of Baix Ebre, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain, located at 12 metres above the sea, by the Ebre river. ... Location Coordinates : 39°29′ N 0°22′ W Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name València (Catalan) Spanish name Valencia Founded 137 BC Postal code 46000-46080 Website http://www. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Zaragoza (Spanish) Spanish name Zaragoza Founded 24 Postal code 50001 - 50018 Website http://www. ...

External links

• Chronology of the taifa kingdoms (in Spanish)